Page 120 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2019

HEALTHY LIVING gastric sleeve surgery NO LONGER
MISSING OUT ON
Devoted wife, mother and nurse gets her vigor for life back thanks to South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Rebecca McGallagher
ebecca McGallagher, 37, from Hurley is many things to many people. She is a devoted wife and mother to four children as well as a nurse
at The Gardens Senior Living in Ocean Springs. “Taking care of people has always been my
passion,” she said. “Being a caregiver gives me purpose.” After having her fourth child, however, McGallagher’s
sense of purpose began to wane. She was tired, overweight, and it seemed that nothing in life could restore her once vibrant energy. “It felt like no matter what I did – how hard I worked out, or how great I followed a diet – I just couldn’t lose the weight,” she said. “When I wasn’t working, I didn’t have the energy to play with my kids. I felt like life was passing me by. My kids were growing more every day, and I was missing
out on life by being so overweight.”
Realizing that it was now or never, McGallagher made
the decision to undergo surgical weight loss. While she was nervous at first, a consultation with Dr. Avara at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss put her at ease. “Talking about being overweight is hard to do,” said McGallagher. “It makes you feel like a failure, but Dr. Avara treated me like someone who was worthy of saving.”
Just over a year after receiving a gastric sleeve, McGallagher is nearly unrecognizable. To date, she has lost 110 pounds with the goal to lose 40 to 60 more. “I made the choice to have weight loss surgery so I could get my life back,” she said. “I feel like I’ve done just that. I’m actually living again. I’m able to take my kids to the park and play with them instead of having to watch from a bench. I feel like I’m the mother they deserved and the wife my husband can be proud of.”
McGallagher is looking forward to spending the
Life
ABOVE: MCGALLAGHER before seeing South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss.
RIGHT: MCGALLAGHER after her gastric sleeve surgery
and losing 110 pounds.
summer with her family, enjoying the beach and water activities for the first time in many years. The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss
Center has been helping men and women like Rebecca McGallagher to meet their weight loss goals since their formation in 2000. Founded by South Mississippi Surgeons (SMS), they have been providing the Coast with quality surgical care for over 30 years.
To learn more about weight loss surgery, visit their website at smsurgicalweightloss.com, where you can register for a free information session.
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III DR. JASON PAYNE DR. JOHN HALL
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
1124 Oakleigh Road, Ocean Springs 228.872.7277 • www.smsurgicalweightloss.com
120 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • June 2019
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
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